When you see or hear something of concern, say something. Do not ignore or downplay direct or indirect threats from any person, as they could escalate into serious incidents. To prevent the escalation of such incidents, every member of the campus community should learn to recognize behavior that is disruptive, intimidating, or could potentially lead to violence. Please refer to our Training Tab to learn more about how you can schedule a training for your team to enhance your ability to identify potentially concerning behaviors.
All managers and supervisors should ensure that employees in your department are familiar with the Sustaining Community and Preventing Violence policy, including its protocol for responding to intimidation, threats of violence, and acts of violence. Supervisors should take immediate steps to address problem behavior and ensure the safety of their employees. The TMT is available as a resource to assist all campus employees in taking appropriate action to respond to concerning situations.
To help you identify when you might want to refer someone to the Threat Management Team, here are some definitions of behaviors and actions the TMT responds to:
Act of Violence: The exercise of physical force against one’s self, another person, or
property with the intent to cause physical harm, whether or not it causes actual harm.
Dangerous Situation: A set of circumstances that presents risk of imminent physical harm to one’s self, another person, or damage to property.
Domestic Violence (CA Family Code § 6211): Abuse perpetrated against (1) a current or former spouse or intimate partner, (2) a person with whom the respondent has had a child or shares a child in common, (3) a person with whom the respondent is currently cohabiting or formerly cohabitated with as a spouse or intimate partner, (4) a person with whom the respondent is having or has had a dating or engagement relationship, (5) a child of a party or a child who is the subject of an action under the Uniform Parentage Act, or (6) any other person related by consanguinity or affinity within the second degree.
Imminent Danger: Any condition or practice that could reasonably be expected to cause death, serious physical harm to one’s self, another person or substantial damage to property.
Intimidation: Conduct directed toward another person, the purpose of which is to coerce or frighten, and the result of which reasonably causes that person to fear for their safety or the safety of others.
Threat of Violence: Any verbal or written statement, including, but not limited to, texts, electronic messages, social media messages, or other online posts, or any behavioral or physical conduct, that conveys an intent or that is reasonably perceived to convey an
intent, to cause physical harm or to place someone in fear of physical harm, and that
serves no legitimate purpose.
Workplace Violence (WPV): Any act of violence or threat of violence that occurs in a
place of employment. Acts of violence include, but are not limited to, the threat or use of physical force against an employee that results in, or has a high likelihood of resulting in, injury, psychological trauma, or stress, regardless of whether the employee sustains
an injury; and incidents involving a threat or use of a firearm or other dangerous weapon, including the use of common objects as weapons, regardless whether the employee sustains an injury. Workplace violence does not include lawful acts of self defense or defense of others.
Workplace Violence is further defined into the following four violence types:
- Type 1 Violence: Workplace violence committed by a person who has no legitimate business at the worksite and includes violent acts by anyone who enters the workplace or approaches employees with the intent to commit a crime.
- Type 2 Violence: Workplace violence directed at employees by customers, clients, students, or visitors.
- Type 3 Violence: Workplace violence against an employee by a present or former employee, supervisor, or manager.
- Type 4 Violence: Workplace violence committed in the workplace by a person who does not work there but has or is known to have had a personal relationship with an employee.
To learn more about this, please refer to UCSB's Workplace Violence Prevention Plan.